Into the Fire
by Enivrement
Summary: Two years after they defeated Ultimecia, Squall disappears without a word, and old friendships fall apart. Six years later, Esthar announces the opening of their own Garden led by none other than the presidents son, Leon Liore. But why did Squall leave?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FF8, or any of the characters found therein. I'm not making any money off of this either. The few OCs that do exist won't be around for long.

**Summary:** Two years after they defeated Ultimecia, Squall disappears without a word, and old friendships fall apart. Six years later, Esthar announces the opening of their own Garden led by none other than the presidents son, Leon Liore. But why did Squall leave in the first place, and how does he explain the strange occurrences happening around him?

**Pairings:** Squall/Seifer, Selphie/Irvine. Mentions of Squall/Rinoa, Squall/Irvine.

**Warnings:** Will contain mature situations and of sexual and violent natures. It will also contain relationships of both homosexual and heterosexual varieties. Obviously.

**Author's Note:** First chapter of Into the Fire is up. The next chapter is nearly done and will be posted on Thursday. The question for you guys will be whether you want one update a week, about this length, or more frequent updates that are quite a bit shorter. Let me know.

**Chapter I  
Anti-Nostaligia**

Come on, come on,  
Put your hands into the fire.  
Explain, explain,  
As I turn and meet the power.  
This time, this time,  
Turning white and senses dire.  
Pull up, pull up,  
From one extreme to another.

***

The sun broke over the horizon scattering brilliant rays of light into clouds. Even more impressive was the way that light reflected off the glimmering buildings of Esthar's capital. To one young man, the only thing that would have made the day more perfect was for it to have not come at all.

Leaning forward, braced against the railing of the balcony, he let the soft breeze caress his skin, pulling his bangs from the loose braid at the nape of his neck. It brought with it the promise of the warm days. He let a small smile grace his lips. Out there it was so easy to ignore his responsibilities.

He heard footsteps inside, but didn't bother to turn around. He already knew who was going to break his solitude.

"Kiros." It was a greeting, and nothing more.

"Isn't it a little early for you to be up brooding, Leon?" the dark skinned man asked.

Leon didn't turn around, and Kiros didn't wait for an invitation before joining the younger man on the balcony. Facing the other direction, he rested his back against the rail. He looked at his friend's son, waiting for him to speak. Nothing came.

"Don't tell me you're going to give me the silent treatment."

The silence stretched for a while between them, in which Kiros began to think the younger man wasn't going to speak with him, but eventually it broke. "Does Laguna actually expect me to attend this celebration?"

A frown marred Kiros' features. "Are you asking as his son or as his subordinate?"

Leon's reply was an unreadable stare.

"Laguna would have been ecstatic if you'd let him introduce you to the rest of the world as his son, but as your father, he's respected your decision to remain out of the public's eye." Leon nodded irritably and brushed the stray hair out of his face. Kiros noted the gesture before continuing. "However, as the leader of Esthar's military force and commander of its Garden, the President fully expects you to make an appearance, and own up to your parentage. You knew getting into this you were going to have to build up a working relationship with delegates from other countries, including Balamb."

Leon pushed away from the railing, and glared at the vice president. "You think I'm being a coward."

He received a laugh in response. "Hardly, Leon, knowing what I know about you. You've certainly got more courage than I ever did. I just think you need reminding that you volunteered for this"

Sighing, the young man rubbed at the cloth covering the scar between his eyes, obviously steeling himself for the long day ahead.

"What does the president expect me to wear for these festivities?" He half expected his father to try and put him in the traditional, formal Estharian robes. The very thought made him grimace.

Kiros saw the look on the young man's face and let out a bark of genuine laughter. "Don't worry. It wasn't your father who decided your wardrobe this time around."

He could have sworn he heard the young commander let out a sigh of relief.

***

The train ride to Esthar from Fisherman's Horizon was long and bumpy. Nothing else could be said about it.

Without access to air ships, the only means to reach the secluded city was by train. The Garden's hadn't been designed to pass over mountain ranges, and the Estharian government had kept the Ragnorok.

It wouldn't do for Esthar to lose its technology to neighbouring countries. There might be peace, but it didn't mean it was going to stay that way. The calm before the storm or whatever.

That was why President Loire had invited the leaders of the world's factions, both Gardens and countries alike, to celebrate the opening of Esthar's Garden. They were making a statement: they had Esthar's superior technology, coupled with Garden-level military strength. If someone wanted to pick a fight, Esthar was making it clear that it might be wise to look elsewhere.

…

At least that's what Irvine thought about the matter as he tried to fall asleep on the upper bunk of the bed in the SeeD cabin. His booted feet hung over the side as he lay on his back, for fear of Xu yelling at him for getting the covers dirty. His eyes were closed as he concentrated on trying to fall asleep.

Unfortunately, every jiggle of the train on the rarely used track jarred his back, preventing him from actually dozing off.

After one particularly good bump, he finally sighed in frustration and hopped off the bed, already starting to feel his back tense from the uncomfortable mattress.

_Hyne, I must be getting old,_ he thought to himself, kneading his back with the knuckles of one hand. _Only twenty-six and I'm already having back trouble. Won't be long before they have me retired from active duty and pushing papers behind a desk._

He went to grab his jacket and cowboy hat off the couch beside the bed, but paused mid-motion as the ramifications of his thoughts hit him. _Just shoot me now._

Slamming the hat down on top of his head, he left the cabin to go off in search of the illustrious Commander Xu. He wanted to ask her a couple of questions.

_Like what I'm going to say when someone asks me how I feel about Esthar building a Garden that won't be under independent control. Because we definitely need a group of mercenaries under the thumb of a man who's one or two cards short of a full deck._

***

The dull, almost two-dimensional nature of his vision should have told him something was wrong with what he was seeing. It clued him into the fact that what he was seeing wasn't real.

It didn't help Seifer wake up, and it certainly didn't stop his throat from constricting when woman lying on the table turned towards him with anguish in her eyes. She was staring straight at him, repeating the same words over and over.

"Please, help me," she entreated. Although he couldn't recognize any of her features, he knew she was dear to him.

He tried to take a step towards her knowing, even though he couldn't see her body, that she was going into labour.

His feet wouldn't move.

He tried to call out to her, knowing that the sound of his voice would calm her down. An unknown name was on the tip of his tongue.

His voice made no sound.

Her cries became louder, but there was nothing he could do for her but watch as her body contorted in agony.

_"You can't help her."_

The words echoed in his head, but they weren't his own.

Before he could question them, the woman on the table stopped moving.

In the next instant, her back was arched, rounded stomach bared to the world. He watched in horror as something began to rip it open from the inside, clawing its way out. He tried to look away, but even when he closed his eyes he could still see it.

_"You'll never be able to stop Us."_ It was still in his head, but this time he recognized the voice, and it was enough to jolt him out of his stupor…

He jerked awake and promptly threw up into a bucket at the side of his bed.

_These dreams are getting worse,_ he concluded, wiping his mouth on his sleeve as he stood up. The dreams had always made him feel ill, but this was the first time he'd thrown up. Even as his vision cleared he had to lean into the bucket again as he heaved dryly.

He was about to enter into contemplation about what it meant when one of his comrades, Jaien he thought her name was, poked her head into the cabin. "Hey, Ai, the General's moving out. You don't get your ass in gear he's going to have you lurking in the shadows looking after the princess."

That certainly got his attention. Within seconds he had his uniform on, regardless of the fact that the woman was watching him change with blatant interest. He'd worked for General Caraway for the past five years, and he hadn't yet been forced to do more than exchange a few pleasantries with his daughter. He wasn't about to let some dream change that.

What did it matter that the dreams were becoming more and more frequent, or that he was beginning to put names to the faces and voices he was hearing?

He jogged after Jaien, and they managed to grab seats near the front of the convoy, early enough to avoid princess detail.

***

"Hey, Sunshine, I was wondering if you would be willing to do me a huge favour."

Selphie frowned at the videophone, twirling a strand of hair absently around one finger. Of course her commanding officer was going to assign her some menial task right before she was supposed to be going on a date.

"Oh, I'm sorry sunshine. Am I interrupting something?" The grey-haired young man offered her a look that told her he didn't feel sorry at all. "I'm certain whatever you and your beau of the week have something vitally important planned. I wouldn't dream of interrupting it with a free trip to Esthar."

Immediately Selphie's eyes lit up, and she was seated at her desk, her full attention on the screen before her. "Trip to Esthar?"

The young man grinned. "I'm glad I have your attention, because this is top priority. I was going to send Cal, but after going through the files I found out you've already met the president, so you'd obviously make a better candidate."

Selphie's brows furrowed and she leaned closer to the video screen. "This doesn't have anything to do with Esthar opening a new Garden, does it?"

"What a clever girl…" the commander rolled his eyes. "Trabia's a smaller Garden. We don't have a headmaster, so we have to make due with SeeDs. You're our highest ranked SeeD, you've met the president, and you're one of the few I trust not to make us look ridiculous."

There was a pause, Selphie looking into the young man's eyes. He finally looked away, rubbing his temples. "I can't believe I had to say that."

"Whatever," Selphie finally answered. "There are going to be other Garden representatives there, and if they're following the same logic as you I'm going to have to see Him."

"It's been six years. Isn't it about time you put it behind you?"

"That bastard ripped my heart out. It's not something you just 'put behind you.'" She bit out as she slammed her hand onto the desk.

"You still love him." It wasn't a question.

The soft spoken statement was right on the mark. The usually perky young SeeD lowered her gaze, so that her commanding officer wouldn't see her in tears. Her voice was equally soft, though filled with sullen anger. "He slept with a guy rather than sleeping with me. I have no reason to love him… why would I love him, Alaric?"

The young man just smiled back sadly. "Your boat leaves in twenty minutes, and you'll be taking Cal with you. Your job is to make nice with Laguna Loire, and find out what his plans are and what type of guy Leon Loire is."

"Anything else, sir?"

"Yeah… keep Cal in line. We don't want him to do anything over the top."

***

In Irvine's opinion, the room they'd been given for the duration of their stay was a little over the top. It wasn't so much the marble tile or ceiling high windows in the sitting room, which was to be expected given they were in the Presidential Palace. It was more the fact that their room had a sitting room, and a kitchen, and two bathrooms.

For SeeDs, who were more accustomed to sleeping three or four in a two person tent than alone in their own dorm rooms, the whole thing seemed a little too extravagant.

In all honesty, it made him uncomfortable.

"Stop gaping and get changed."

Xu's voice derailed his train of thought and he grinned at her sheepishly. The friendly but distant woman hadn't changed much since he'd met her nearly eight years ago, unless you counted the addition of a few grey hairs. Not unexpected, considering the current commander of Balamb Garden was twenty-seven.

In all honesty, Irvine was surprised his auburn hair wasn't liberally streaked with silver. With more classes than actual missions, he was surprised he hadn't torn his hair out all together. Some of the cadets were nice to look at, but he never remembered being that simple minded. That single issue made up the bulk of his reasons for jumping at the chance to accompany Xu in a diplomatic mission.

"Irvine!" Xu snapped. "Get changed, now. You're not meeting the president of Esthar dressed like that!"

The cowboy nodded, lugging his bag into one of the two bedrooms. He closed the door behind him and quickly shrugged off his jacket. It was quickly followed by a black button up shirt and a pair of ratty cords. Not that he hadn't seen the president in worse. From what he could remember in his previous dealings with the man, appearance was his last concern.

_But what Commander wants, Commander gets,_ he thought ruefully, pulling his SeeD uniform from the bottom a non-descript suit case. Stain and wrinkle resistant, the black uniform was ideal for those whose jobs might be a little… gore-y.

He left his room, locking the door behind him with the key card their guide had handed to them. Xu was waiting, looking immaculate as ever. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

She ignored the sarcasm and stopped tapping her foot impatiently. "Of all the people I could have taken with me, I just had to choose you."

Hiding a frown, Irvine went to open the door for his commanding officer, ever the gentleman. Half the time he couldn't tell if her comments were in jest, or if she actually resented having him around. "With Zell and Quistis on the Centra excavation, I'm your only SeeD that's met President Loire,"

Xu nodded, leaving the room and heading to the reception hall, where the celebrations would be starting. "I doubt that will do me much good. You'll be too busy chasing skirts."

Irvine stopped walking, and looked at his commander in disbelief. He'd stopped chasing anything with two legs long ago.

_Five years, two hundred and seventy-four days ago,_ his traitorous mind provided. _Since the day Selphie left._

Since that fateful night he hadn't so much as kissed another human being. It just wasn't worth everything he'd lost. For nearly six years he'd been living like a nun.

Xu stopped when she realized the cowboy wasn't following him. She turned around, a stern expression on her face. "What now?"

"You might not like me," he growled out, meeting her glare for glare. "And Hyne knows I'm beginning to dislike you, but I'll remain professional for the duration of this assignment."

Xu expression was one of shock, though it quickly turned to anger. He walked past her before she could say anything, and muttered under his breath, loud enough for her to hear; "Regardless of whether you will."

***

The lights and the amount of champagne moving around the room were obviously designed to keep the atmosphere relaxed and friendly. The ambiance would reduce hostility between groups that were, not to long ago, at war, as well as making them more susceptible to whatever ideas Esthar's president wanted to plant into their heads that evening.

Rinoa stood against the back wall of the reception hall, surveying the other guests. It was her father's idea for her to come along. He believed it important for her to learn all she could about politics. Since he was the newly elected president of Galbadia, it was probably a smooth move for him to coach his daughter to some day follow in his footsteps. She enjoyed what this coaching entailed, hoping to some day to put her knowledge to use. She'd never given up her desire to free Timber.

None of the other guests seemed to notice the atmosphere in the room, and it took her a little while to realize why. No one was expecting it from the man who'd spent the last twenty years or so acting like an idiot. Even she was forced to admit this sort of subtle manipulation wasn't what she would expect from the blunt, happy-go-lucky man who'd told six children the way to save the world was to believe in their friendship.

Either President Loire had managed to grow up significantly in the past eight years, or someone else was pulling at least some of the strings in this puppet show.

The intrigue piqued her curiosity, so she sent some of her magic out to 'test the waters.' She wanted to see if it was just the lighting they were using to enhance the mood, or if there might be something more questionable behind it.

Rinoa was forced to pull her powers back sharply as they encountered something akin to a flame. Her gaze jerked in the direction of the unexpected power; she found herself looking at Balamb Garden's current commander, Xu, talking to a man with long, braided hair, and some kind of black headband tied around his head. His back was turned to her, however, but from his unusual style of dress she was certain he was an Estharian dignitary.

Shaking her head, she drew her eyes away and let her gaze settle on the champagne flute in her hand. She'd felt the burning sensation a few times before, back when she'd been spending a lot of time around the Garden. _Xu must be junctioned,_ she decided. _Doesn't send a good message to the other guests, if they notice, but she's SeeD, and they're trained to be prepared for anything._

She didn't have much more time to dwell on it, because Laguna Loire decided to make an appearance.

***

Xu bid him goodbye when she saw the president make his way to the podium at the front of the room. His heart had been in his throat throughout the duration of their conversation. He almost couldn't believe she hadn't recognized him, but then, eight years could really change a person.

That he was playing the role of a charming dignitary and his trademark scar was hidden by the black cloth over his eyes, certainly didn't hurt.

He took a sip of champagne, and hid the grimace the taste left in his mouth. It seemed alcohol didn't agree with him any more. The thought left his mind when Laguna opened his mouth. In fact, all thoughts left his mind as he tuned his father out. He only snapped back into it when he heard his cue to come to the podium.

"But I'm not the person you want to meet tonight," Laguna was saying. "The man you're all here to meet, and the new commander of Esthar Garden, my son, Leon Loire."

There was scattered applause as he made his way up to the microphone. It was immediately cut short at the sound of a glass shattering in the back of the room, followed by several sharp gasps.

"Sweet Hyne. Squall!"

***

**AN:** Let me know what you think of the start, and how you want your updates.


	2. Chapter 2

**Into The Fire**

Chapter II

The sound of the champagne flute shattering on the hardwood floor was quickly followed by a wave of nausea and a blinding headache for Leon. It was almost enough to bring him to his knees behind the podium. He used both hands to grip the podium with his knuckles were white. He clenched his jaw to keep the vomit from coming up.

_Just give in. She wouldn't say no_.

He prayed the lights were dim enough to cover the fact that his face was completely drained of all colour. He couldn't believe it was happening now. Though the room was silent he could hear the cacophony of white noise in the background and it caused his temples to pound in time with his headache. He closed his eyes, wishing the brilliant colours would at least fade from behind his eyes.

_No, _he hissed vehemently_. We're not going through this again_.

The commotion was starting to pick up again, and every eye began to turn on him again, but he couldn't move. He couldn't concentrate on anything but the din of the room and the conversation in his head.

_She's here, and she's willing._

_Shut up!_ He told himself.

"Are you alright?"

A warm hand rested on his shoulder, and suddenly the pressure was relieved from his head. He turned to see Kiros standing next to him, concern marring his otherwise youthful face.

Leon took a deep breath, trying to fill his lungs with air. Once he felt his breathing levelled, he shrugged the man's arm off and stood up straight behind the podium, though he didn't relieve his death-grip on the sides.

"I'll be fine," he managed to growl out, noting even Laguna was staring at him, concern apparent on his face. They'd both heard of his so called attacks, but neither had ever seen one up close. It was likely both more disturbing and less overwhelming than was expected, but he doubted either fully understood what was happening.

Hyne, he hardly understood what was happening to him. If he had, he would have put more effort into figuring out how to stop it, rather than trying to ignore it while he ran another Garden. As it was, the attacks were rather infrequent, and never quite so bad. This most recent episode just confirmed it.

Rinoa was connected to whatever it was that was happening to it, and she had the ability to trigger it.

He looked to where she had been standing, but she'd fled the room after dropping her glass. Other guests had filled her space in the back of the room, their eyes fixed on him, expectant. Finally releasing his death grip on the podium, he struggled to remember why he was standing there, and why the guests were waiting with bated breath.

_Right. The speech._

Straightening his spine, he forced himself to disconnect, slipping into his dignitary facade. He had to "I am Leon Loire, son of President Loire, but do not think this will mean the Garden will be under Estharian control.

"I grew up with the Gardens, and I am a member of SeeD. While the Garden is a mercenary organization, the first goal has always been to train SeeD to defeat rogue Sorceresses. As such, we are committed to avoiding any conflicts between governments. We would like to encourage all Gardens to do the same.

"For the time being, we will be dedicated to training our students. We would also like to invite representatives from other Gardens to come to Esthar Garden to view our training, aid in teaching, and take courses in Estharian technology.

"All Gardens share a common goal and unity is essential to achieving these ends. Cooperation between the Gardens halted during the Second Sorceress War. I hope that Esthar Garden can be the institution that bridges this gap."

Not waiting for questions, knowing they would all pertain to his life as Squall Leonhart, Leon descended from the stage and left through the back door. He rounded a few corners, and once safely away from public domain, he bent over the first available potted plant and vomited. He stayed doubled over until it he was only dry heaving, and tried to catch his breath.

Standing up, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and looked around to see if anyone had been watching. Hallways seemingly empty, he turned to head towards his rooms in the presidential wing, only to find himself looking up at a distinctly familiar face.

"Hyne, I didn't think she could actually be serious, but you really have moved up in the world, eh Squall?"

***

Seifer was used to moving around; used to changing his name as often as he changed his job. It was an expected consequence of acting as the Knight to a Sorceress whose mental faculties were more than a little questionable. While things had quieted down after both Balamb and Galbadia Gardens had issued him a pardon for his actions in the war, people were still reluctant to be associated with the name Seifer Almassy.

He'd been reasonably surprised when he'd been pardoned for his crimes during the war. The reason cited was that he'd not been under Sorceress Ultemicia's control at the time. Complete fiction, of course, and he was certain Squall had known it when he'd issued the pardon, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. It went a little ways in allowing people to forget his face, but not the name.

Deciding to take advantage of the anonymity, Seifer decided to try his hand at fishing under an alias in the peaceful city of Fisherman's horizon. It was a very brief stint, in which he went stir-crazy and chased off his two companions. Despite the negatives, there had been some… positive encounters. Encounters that had helped him clear his head a little.

Shortly there after he picked another alias and enlisted as a grunt with the Galbadia military. Going by the name of Ai, he'd worked his way up the ranks, and wound up in the detail that was ever present with the President, the former General Caraway.

Seifer wasn't sure if the man recognized him from when he'd dated Rinoa, or if the man had even been close enough to pay him any notice. Rinoa certainly hadn't, and that was for the best. He'd been content at his lot in life.

He'd had the sneaking suspicion it would all change when Rinoa came running into the soldiers' mess when she should have been at the reception, screaming like a banshee that Squall had been here all along.

Upon hearing her claims, Seifer stood up so abruptly his chair was knocked over. Jaien shot him a glance over the table, concern and confusion written on her face, but she remained silent. He was fairly certain he managed to mumble something about feeling sick, corroborated by the bucket by his bunk, before he stumbled out into the hallway.

The hallways all looked the same; plush carpets on the floor, hideously expensive and just plain hideous paintings on the walls. He found his way towards the reception by following the flocks of servants all heading in one direction. He barely noticed the stares he was receiving from the serving staff. He didn't care that they found it odd for a Galbadian soldier to be storming down their hallways, paying no heed to the general flow of traffic.

When he reached the reception hall he stepped just inside the doorway and found a place off to the side against the wall. With the entire room for within his field of view, he scanned the crowd for any sign that Squall was around. He didn't see any; even with the physical changes that came with age and maturity, Seifer was certain he would be able to tell his former rival apart in a crowd. Satisfied that Squall wasn't in the room, Seifer slipped back out, intent on going down the next set of corridors in search of the man.

"Ai!"

Seifer turned at the sound of his "name" and found Jaien jogging towards him. He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement, but was too focused on the task at hand to pay her much mind.

He had to find Squall.

"Ai!" Jaien shouted again, grabbing his attention. "What the hell do you think you're doing? We're not supposed to be out here skulking around. Makes it look as though Galbadia is trying to steal Esthar secrets."

"Just going to see what has Daddy's princess so spooked," he replied sardonically.

"So you're looking for this Squall?" She quirked her eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with his reasoning. He nodded. "The same Squall that she mumbles about in her sleep?" He nodded again, not liking the direction their conversation was heading. "Squall; former Lion of Balamb Squall?"

"Yes."

Finally, she smirked. "Anything to do with the pendant you wear?"

His eyebrows knitted into a frown. "What? No! Like I said, someone had look into this for the princess."

The fact that his hand went to grasp the silver pendent he work beneath his uniform betrayed him.

Folding her arms across her ample chest, Jaien smirked. "Sure. In any case, you're going to want to sneak into the presidential wing if you're going to find him."

"The presidential wing? Why?"

The smirk on her face got wider. "Because from what Rinoa was saying, it sounds like Squall is actually the son of President Loire."

"Sweet Hyne," Seifer muttered under his breath before adding, louder, "You're either the worst gossip I know, or on your way to becoming an intelligence offer."

Jaien was already turning to walk away, but she stopped to reply. "It's a little of both."

It took Seifer aback. "What?"

"I'm the only gossip you know."

"Fair enough," he conceded a small chuckle escaping. "Thanks for the help. I'll see you back at the mess."

"Sure thing. But Ai, if you screw this up for Caraway I'm going to be first in line to help with his retribution."

"I'll keep that in mind."

With new direction, Seifer headed towards the presidential wing. He found it strange that there were no guards to stop him but he figured, if Squall was actually living there, they probably didn't need any. The kid definitely knew how to take care of those around him.

He rounded a corner, and at first the clothes throw him off. The fitted, floor-length jacket were clearly of Estharian origin, and it made it hard to register that the man in front of him bent over the potted plant, voiding the entire contents of his stomach, was actually the skinny kid who used to go around sporting leather and a fur-trimmed coat.

The chuckle erupted from his chest before he could stop himself. "Hyne, I didn't think she could actually be serious, but you really have moved up in the world, eh Squall?"

Squall looked up. Seifer was ready to meet his eyes, but couldn't.

The kid was wearing a fucking blindfold.

***

Not even all of the champagne and appetizers being touted around by congenial serving staff was going to quiet the commotion brought about by his son's sudden departure. If Laguna had known something this drastic was going to happen he probably would have called the whole thing off, the damage had been done, and now he was going to have to do damage control.

He could already feel the leg cramp coming on.

With great reluctance he took to the stage his son had so recently vacated, and started trying to placate all of the officials and dignitaries in attendance. He found himself speaking, but couldn't really put his mind to what it was he was saying. The only thing he could focus on was the fact that Rinoa was in Esthar.

Standing in the back of the room as she had been when the gathering had started, he probably wouldn't have noticed her there. And he was quite certain that she had been meant to go unnoticed. That General Caraway had the gall to bring a sorceress into the walls of Esthar proper was astounding. At any other time, Laguna would have taken it as an act of aggression, but for the time being he was going to ignore it and see what came from it.

After all, she was the daughter of Julia, the one who'd gotten away. Laguna would have given anything for one last chance to talk to Julia, and he hoped his son might be willing to rekindle the romance he'd once had with the girl.

Even if she was a sorceress.

He slowly came back out of his own mind, and found the entire room staring at him with confusion. Ducking his head sheepishly, he realized he'd trailed off in the middle of talking. Scratching the back of his neck, he tried to remember where he'd been in the speech.

Thank Hyne, Kiros noticed his distress. He dark skinned man stepped up to the podium, all grace and fluidity, and took over.

"I believe, what President Loire would like to say, is that while he is sad to be losing the commander of Esthar's military forces, _Leon Loire_," he stressed the name "is both competent and just, and he will make an excellent commander.

"I would now like to invite you to take a tour of the palace grounds while we regroup for the banquet later this evening. I'm certain both President Loire and his son will be happy to field any questions you might have then."

There was a smattering of half-hearted applaud through the crowd, but they didn't argue. There was something about Kiros' demeaner, a sort of confident yet deadly calm the man carried about him, that staved off any dissent. Laguna often wondered how he had ended up as president instead of his second in command. The man was so much better suited to the task.

"Laguna," Kiros whispered, startling him. "Go check on your son. I think this attack was particularly bad."

He nodded, and bowed to the gathered dignitaries and representatives before turning and walking out the back door with as much dignity as he could muster. It wasn't much, given his blunder on stage.

***

Selphie found herself twiddling her thumbs uncomfortably as the president descended from the stage. Cal was standing next to her, oblivious to everything but the obvious tension in the room. She saw Xu quickly exiting the room from where she had been standing next to Irvine. She tried to avoid looking at him, but her gaze kept being drawn back to him, like a magnet, and every time she saw him her breath caught in her chest.

She felt like she was being torn apart into two when she accidentally met his eyes. She wanted to flee.

"Why is everyone so convinced that was Squall Leonhart?" Cal asked stupidly, preventing her escape. "I mean, the guy didn't even look like the pictures of Leonhart. Besides, he ran away from being commander of one garden, why would he come to lead another?"

Selphie wanted to cry out in frustration at her stupid partner. She wanted nothing more than to get out of the room.

Irvine was walking towards her.

"Because it was his ex-girlfriend who spotted him," she hissed, plotting her escape.

"Maybe she's dillusional, or has a thing for commanders?"

She was going to spontaneously combust, or disappear into the ground if she didn't get out of the room. She had a couple Quakes and some Firaga on her to make sure. "Because Rinoa is a sorceress, and Squall was her knight, that's why. Now lets get out of here."

Cal went along with it, snagging a few more hors d'oeuvres before following her.

She'd barely made her exit when her plans were foiled.

"Selphie, wait!" the stupid womanizer called to her.

She tried to keep walking, but Cal grabbed her arm to stop her. "Where are you going? Don't you want to say hi to your old friend?"

Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, and she had to hold her arms tightly at her sides, lest she strike out at someone. Her jaw was clenched tight, and she was certain her knuckles were white in the first she'd made.

"Selphie, I need to talk to you." Irvine looked haggard, his voice full of anguish.

Drawing a deep calming breath, she released the tension in her arms and jaw. "Irvine. Nice to see you again. I'd love to chat, but if you don't mind, we need to be preparing for the banquet. See you around."

Without another word, she calmly turned around and walked from the reception hall. Cal followed on her heels like a dog, and she could feel his glare between her shoulder blades.

"Hyne, Selphie," he let out with a gust of breath. "That was cold. No wonder your boy toys never last long."

This time she let herself go and struck him, palm open, on his face. She looked up to see a large red hand print form immediately on his face.

Sadly, it was entirely unsatisfying. She stormed off down the hall, and Cal watched her, dumbfounded, as she went.

***

Barely out the door of the meeting room, Laguna head heavy footsteps following behind him. The steps were much too heavy to belong to Kiros, yet too light for it to be Ward. There were standing orders for the guards not to follow into the presidential wing, given an unfortunate incident with Leon early on, so it wouldn't be one of them. Immediately put on edge, he turned around on one heel and faced the intruder.

It was Fury Caraway.

He'd never had the displeasure of meeting the man in person, but it was General Caraway who'd given the orders for him to investigate the Lunatic Pandora excavation, and it was Caraway who'd stepped into Julia's life after the "unfortunate accident" that had led to his disappearance.

"These areas are restricted to palace staff. Why are you back here?" he asked, keeping his voice pleasant, but his tone bored.

"I'd always wondered what happened to that lieutenant I'd sent away from Galbadia," the man replied. He had a drawl in his voice that only came from a man used to having his orders followed. "I never would have expected you to end up president of Esthar. They must have been desperate, given what I saw today."

Laguna let the petty jab wash over him, and actually smiled. "I've often wondered that myself, but my advisors assure me it has nothing to do with the fact that I've had a hand in disposing of two sorceresses. How's your daughter, by the way? Saw her in there, but she sure left in a hurry."

The blood drained from the Galbadian president's face, leaving Laguna feeling extremely satisfied.

"If you ever threaten my daughter again…" the man began, but Laguna cut him off.

"Who said anything about threatening? I've worked with Rinoa before. I have nothing but the respect for her. I even hold a small bit of affection for her, what with her dating my son in the past. Too bad about him leaving her. I hear she's following in your footsteps actually."

Caraway's brows narrowed. "Leaving her indeed. There was a country wide search for that boy. Suspicion of espionage and murder, and you said nothing to Galbadian officials of his presence within your borders."

"I said nothing because Squall Leonhart wasn't within my borders. Just Leon Loire. That and you had no proof he was involved; just your daughter's childish behaviour to hold onto what wasn't hers. Seems like she's following in your foot steps that way."

The blood returned to Caraway's face with vengeance, to the point that Laguna was worried the older man might suffer a coronary in the hallway right in front of him. His face was nearly purple, and his breathing sounded laboured.

"Calm down," Laguna instructed, patronizing. "Why don't you go on one of the palace tours? Our gardens are quite beautiful and peaceful this time of year."

Caraway looked ready to object, but was cut off by a commotion coming from down the hall.

"Keep your fucking hands off me!" It was Leon's voice, but the fact that he was issuing the order, instead of forcing the issue provided something of an interesting conundrum. Laguna heard a deeper voice rumble something in return. He took off down the hallway to see what was going on, Fury Caraway hot on his heels.

He darted down the hallway in a manner that was far from befitting for a man of his age and station and rounded the corner, startling a couple members of the cleaning staff in the process. He certainly didn't expect to see Leon standing face to face with another man, his blindfold loosely held in the other man's hand.

Hearing Laguna's approach, Leon's gaze flicked to his father's. Laguna had never seen anything like it. The man's eyes were covered in a milky-white film.

_He's blind?_ was all Laguna could think.

***

AN: Another chapter done. I'm going to aim for chapters around this length once a week, probably Thursday's or Fridays.

New question this time: Are you alright with the constantly changing perspectives? I find it more interesting to leave scenes unfinished for a bit of suspense, but if you let me know if you'd like me to try sticking with one scene throughout a chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

_Girls crying._

_If there was one thing Irvine couldn't handle, that was it. Sure, girls were pretty, but even the prettiest girl couldn't get him to stick around when she was crying. It made him willing to do anything for them to make it stop. He'd been taken advantage of over it, with some pretty young girl crying crocodile tears to get him to do what they wanted._

_He'd conditioned himself to walk away when ever some girl burst into histrionics in front of him. _

_Selphie knew this, and since she was the kind of girl who would never let anyone see her cry, it worked out perfectly for the two of them. _

_Except for when one of her girlfriends came over in need of a shoulder to cry on._

_As soon as Irvine saw Rinoa's tear stained cheeks at his doorway, he got up off the bed, leaving Selphie to comfort their friend. As he was pulling on his boots, preparing to go outside for a long smoke break, he caught something along the lines of "Why doesn't he find me attractive," from Rinoa. He grabbed his coat and made for the door, when Selphie called out to him._

"_Talk to Squall."_

_Dropping his coat down onto a chair by the door, Irvine gave her a mock salute. If playing mediator between the mismatched couple made his girlfriend happy, who was he to say no?_

_It was a short walk down the hall to Squall's single dormitory. Through the man was commander of the Garden, he chose to sleep in the same hallway as the faculty. It was something about proving he wasn't above the rest of Garden staff. Once there, Irvine knocked on the door rather forcefully, disappointed in having his evening with Selphie spoiled._

_When there was no answer, he knocked more forcefully. "Come on Squall, I know you're in there!"_

_The door whipped open under his fist, nearly hitting him. The shorter man who stood before him was a mess. Squall's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, his eyes were blood shot, and he was visibly shaking. The way the man whipped his mouth with the back of his hand told Irvine he'd probably just thrown up._

"_What are you doing here, Irvine?"_

_It took a moment for him to regain his composure, before he stepped inside Squall's room. "Rinoa came crying to Selphie. I was sent to see if I could get a coherent story from you, maybe try to talk some sense into that thick skull of yours. I can see from your current state that it isn't like that. What happened?"_

_Squall shook his head and ran a shaky hand through his hair. He didn't make eye contact as he said, "She makes me sick."_

_Irvine started again. "Shit, man. I know you're not the most conventional couple in the world, but when did your relationship get this bad."_

_Squall shook his head, more in dismay than in negation. "I love her. I think she's the most beautiful girl I've laid eyes on. Fuck!" he swore, hands balling into white-knuckled fists. "I jumped out of an escape pod for her, for Hyne's sake!"_

_Letting out a bark of broken laughter, Squall relaxed his hands and sat heavily on the bed. "She wants to be more intimate, and I can't. I want to be able to touch her, but the moment I get too close to her I feel nauseous. She literally makes me sick."_

"_Shit," Irvine responded quietly, moving to sit next to the broken commander. "Is it just her, or does it happen with all girls?"_

_His reply was a neutral glance from Squall. "Of course, because I try to sleep around on the woman I love."_

_Irvine felt like a fool. "That's not what I meant. I was just…"_

"_Wondering if I preferred the cock." Squall actually glared at him there. "Are you offering to help me find out?"_

***

"What the hell, Squall? A blindfold? Did you think that was going to be able to hide you?"

"Whatever. I don't have time for this." Leon quickly stood and turned on his heels to head back to his rooms. He needed to brush his teeth and double check that he didn't have any vomit on the clothes Kiros had prepared for him.

"Just going to run away, Squall? That's unlike you," Seifer taunted.

Leon didn't stop, though he heard Seifer's heavy footfall behind him. "It's Leon Loire."

"Bullshit!" Seifer caught up to Squall and grabbed him by the shoulder, forcing him to turn around.

"Keep your fucking hands off me!" he snarled back, knocking Seifer's hand free with the momentum of his turn. "You have no right."

"No right, you say? Alright, then. I leave you alone if you tell me what you're doing here." Seifer reached into his shirt and pulled out the pendent he'd been wearing. "And if you tell me why you left this in my bed six years ago."

"I owe you nothing, Seifer."

"Look me in the eye and tell me that, Squall," he replied, emphasising the name, before adding, with a bark of laughter, "Oh wait, you can't!"

Leon cocked his head to one side, the only warning Seifer received before Leon made to grab for the Griever pendant hanging about Seifer's neck. Only years of sparing against the other man gave Seifer the reflexes to catch Leon's wrist mid-grasp and make a grab of his own. He managed to snag the blindfold covering Leon's eyes.

It took him a few moments to register what he was seeing. Where Squall's eyes used to glare back at him in a mixture of stormy grey hate or brilliant blue passion, Leon's eyes were now a milky white; unseeing. It was all Seifer could do to keep his jaw from dropping as his arms fell limply to his sides, blindfold forgotten. He didn't even notice the two men approach them from behind Leon. It took Leon turning around to greet the flustered President Loire and the irate President Caraway to make him aware of their presence.

"Father, President Caraway," Leon noted with a slight incline of his head. Without the blindfold, it was clear now that he wasn't meeting their eyes. "Lieutenant Ai seems to have stumbled down the wrong hallway in his duties, in the same manner you have, President Caraway. Allow me to have my staff escort you back to your quarters where you may prepare for the banquet."

Without any gestures needed, two of Leon's cadets stepped out from their unseen posts at the walls, and motioned to Seifer and Fury for them to follow. Leon held out his hand to Seifer, requesting the blindfold back. Seifer handed it back, not wanting to make a scene in front of his boss. Leon faced the two as they were escorted away, inclining his head once again when Seifer shot him a bold grin.

He turned back to face his father once they had rounded the corner and were out of sight.

"Are you alright, Leon?" Laguna asked, his voice full of hesitation.

"I'm fine."

"But… what about… I mean, you…" Losing his words, Laguna motioned vaguely to his eyes.

"I'll discuss this with you later tonight. For now we should both be getting ready for the banquet. Kiros won't be happy if we're late again."

Laguna nodded, at a loss. He'd always imagined a father was supposed to be there to take care of his children when things were rough. Now, though, he felt as though his son was leading him by the hand, directing him in what he needed to do. With a sigh, he took Leon's face in his hands, and looked directly into his son's cloudy eyes. "Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here. It's the only reason I'm still here."

To his credit, Leon didn't flinch when Laguna touched him. "I know," was all he said in response, and his voice seemed strangely sad.

***

Of all the people she had been worried about running into at this meeting, Selphie was quite convinced Squall would be on the bottom of the list. Rinoa would have been a close second.

Squall had disappeared from Balamb Garden nearly six years ago, without warning, without explanation, and without word. The Garden had landed in Balamb, and the old man guarding the exit had seen him leave, which wasn't unusual. Then no one had seen him board a train or boat in Balamb, and neither had the guards at the Fire Cavern seen him go in. Granted, it wouldn't be beyond him to make it past them unknown, but it was eerie the way he had simply _disappeared._

Rinoa, on the other hand, had simply faded away. She'd stayed after Squall's disappearance, first helping search for him, and then later continuing her daily life. But without Squall to bring her into the lives of the other SeeDs, she stopped socializing with them, until she quietly slipped out of the Garden and out of their lives. Every so often she appeared in the news feeds, working with Timber or in Galbedia. There were numerous stories about her when her father ran for President, either to slander him by mentioning his rebellious daughter, or to praise him by showing a young woman who cared about the rights of others. She hadn't disappeared, but the distance Squall's departure placed between them all had seemed insurmountable.

As strange as it seemed, Selphie had turned to Rinoa when everything had gone downhill. Both of them had been women scorned and she'd felt like Rinoa understood why she felt so betrayed. But Rinoa didn't feel betrayed, only confused, and when Rinoa began isolating herself from the rest of them, Selphie began to see that leaving Balamb was her only option to try and put everything behind her. She'd jumped on the opportunity to help Trabia rebuild.

It hadn't worked.

Selphie had only seen both Squall and Rinoa at a distance, but she wondered if it was simply coincidence that had them both here at the same time. President Loire said their friendship would save the world, and she couldn't help but feel as though them being here together again had something to with destiny.

It made her distinctly uncomfortable.

She decided to seek out Rinoa. She hoped, perhaps, that Rinoa's sorceress powers might provide her with a little more insight into the situation.

Maybe it would be like old times.

***

Sitting in the lounge area of the joint chambers she shared with her father was not what she was expecting to do at this gathering. Rinoa had expected to network, woo some young men, and hopefully get on the good side of the new commander of Esthar's Garden. She certainly didn't expect to be cowering in her rooms waiting for her daddy to come rescue her.

Squall had run out on her, with no explanation. He'd promised her forever, and he'd left. She knew he was nervous about the intimacy, but it wasn't something they couldn't have dealt with. She could have taught him, and guided him. They could have made it work, but he ran.

Perhaps this was Hyne giving her another chance to be with him. Maybe if she talked to him, instead of assuming everything would work out fine, things would work out. Six years was a lot of time, and they would have both grown enough that things would work out.

Rinoa stood up off the couch and made her way to the bathroom in her room. The cool marble tiles felt nice on her feet, as she washed her face and started to freshen up. She would change her dress so that no one would recognize her as the woman who freaked out in the audience room.

_Perhaps a white one, like the one I wore when I first met Squall. I'll wear my hair down, too. I haven't done it in so long._

As she was brushing her hair out, there was a knock on the outer door. Setting the brush down, she fluffed her hair before heading to answer the door.

"Jaien," she greeted, somewhat shocked. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

The young lieutenant saluted the president's daughter. "I was hoping your father might be around. I have some news he might be interested in hearing."

"He's not in yet, but I assume he'll be back now that the speeches are done. You can wait in here if you'd like."

Jaien looked at the woman sceptically. "You don't want to know the news?"

Rinoa shook her head. "I've got to decide what dress to wear to the banquet. I'm thinking white, but do you think the blue one might make me a little more noticeable?"

"Excuse me?"

"I want Squall to notice me at the banquet. I haven't seen him in so long, and I really want to make a good impression. I really want him to like me again…" Rinoa was cut off as Jaien slapped her firmly across the face. Her hand flew up to tough the red mark left behind, as she stared at Jaien in shock. "What do you think you're doing, Lieutenant. I could have you arrested for that."

"Just trying to knock some sense into you ma'am." Jaien replied plainly. "You don't strike me as the kind of woman to throw all of her plans away over a man who wasn't good enough to stick around the first time. Now, is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"

Rubbing her cheek, Rinoa drew in a deep breath to gather her thoughts, wondering what had come over her. "What have you discovered?"

Jaien smiled, and straightened a little before she spoke again. "Seifer Almasy accompanied your father's entourage to Esthar, which you might not be aware of." Rinoa hid a grimace and shook her head to indicate she didn't know anything about it. "I confronted him before he tried to approach Leon Loire in the Presidential Wing of the palace earlier this evening, and our conversation has led me to believe he might have encountered Squall Leonhart, now Leon Loire, prior to his arrival in Esthar. I believe they may be involved in something."

Rinoa didn't even bother trying to hide her shock in front of Jaien. "How long has Seifer been with my father's entourage?"

"Nearly three years."

"And you said nothing to me?"

"So long as Seifer preformed his duties, there was no reason for me to connect the soldier with Ultimicia's Knight. I didn't look into his file and note the discrepancies until we were assigned to this mission, when his performance dropped." Jaien's voice was hopeful when she finished.

"That's acceptable, then," Rinoa acknowledged. "And what makes you think Seifer has anything to do with Squall?"

"You mentioned the ring you had was engraved with the word 'Griever' after the pendant Squall wore. I noticed this morning that Seifer is wearing the pendant now."

"What!" This time, Rinoa's shock escaped her, and she sat down heavily on the sofa. "He loved that pendant. What's going on here?"

"Would you like me to look into it?" Jaien asked hopefully.

"No, it's alright. I can do it."

"How?"

Rinoa grinned, and stood back up from the couch, gathering her hair up loosely at the nap of her neck, much like a woman might after visiting with her lover. "I'm going to wear the blue dress, and get people to notice me."

***

As Seifer walked back President Caraway's suites, surely for some disciplinary action, he started contemplating the surreal nature of his encounter with Squall.

Or was it truly Leon now?

He'd heard that when you lost one of your senses, the others would grow in order to compensate, but that didn't quite account for what he saw with Leon. The man was able to follow every movement, though he seemed blind, and Seifer was not convinced he would be able to best the other man in an out and out fight. What's more, he greeted Caraway without hesitation, though he barely knew the man. That in itself was enough to make him doubt Leon's lack of sight. But that wasn't what truly bothered him.

What bothered him was how Leon knew he was going by Ai now.

***

**AN:** I'm really sorry about the delay in getting this up. I don't even want to guess how many months it's been since I last updated (even though I said I'd do one a week). I was expecting my work-load to be cut in half this past winter, but instead things doubled, and I've only now managed to get the rest of my life in order enough that I have a full day I can sit down and actually write. So, here's the third chapter, with more to follow sooner, rather than later. For now I'm going to commit to an update every two weeks, and surprise you with more when I have the time. If you enjoyed, please review 


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